Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You

November 1, 1996
Belying the sensationalistic title, Silverman's memoir is a subtle, powerful evocation of the tragedy of incest. From the age of 4 until she left for college at 18, Silverman was sexually abused by her father, a powerful government official. Although the family lived in posh surroundings, hers was literally a house of horrors: her mother often retreated to her bedroom with a series of vaguely defined illnesses while her older sister jumped at any opportunity to get out of the house, leaving Silverman alone to deal with her father's uncontrollable rage and often violent sexual abuse. Although she exhibited all the classic symptoms, including promiscuity and an eating disorder, no one helped her, and she struggled to find emotional equilibrium well into adulthood. Finally, with the aid of a good psychiatrist and a loving husband, she was able to confront her childhood trauma. This harrowing memoir gives voice to the inarticulate terror Silverman suffered as a child, when she could never find the right words to describe her situation. She has found them now. ((Reviewed November 1, 1996))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1996, American Library Association.)